Road Cycling - Local bike shops brands

I have 2 bike shops within 30 min drive.

Shop A: Carries GIANT, They have very knowlegable mechanic, and bikes and bike equipment is all they sell.

Shop B: Carries Cannondale and Trek. Mechanic wasn't there to talk to and they deal with most outdoor sports, not just bikes, but they sponser group rides two times a week. The kid working there pushed the Treks say Cannondale was good but very expensive compared to the Trek.

What are your opinions on the three brands. If I drive an extra hour I have the choice between about 5-6 more shops but do I really want to travel that far, when the bike has to go to the shop?

Thanks
Garry W.

My understanding is they're all good brands. Arguably Giant give you a better spec for your money than the other two, then again Cannondale tubing is regarded as some of the best in the business.

Personally if the service seems reasonable in both shops I'd try the bikes in your price range that you like and base your buying decision on that. you want to buy from a reasonable shop but the feel of the bike is what's most important.

Richard (no expert :D)

All three brands make decent rides but remember that you'll be making the trip to the shop more often after the purchase. Tune ups, repairs, warrantees..........

The relationship with the shop, for some people, is as important as the bike itself.

I work at a shop that sells Cannondale, Kestrel, LeMond, Jamis, Ibis, Cervello and Felt bicycles. Our biggest competition sells Trek and Specialized, next competition sells Cannondale and Giant.

All great bikes. Yes, Cannondales cost more. However, they manipulate their tubes more than any other company to give the lightest weight and the smoothest ride for an aluminum bike. What I don't like about C'Dale is you can't get a complete groupo of the same level of components in the lower price points. i.e. if you want a full Ultegra or 105 groupo, you have to swap components or buy a frame and build it up!

Trek and Kestrel are carbon and give a smooth ride, but cost a lot and some feel they flex more. (could argue that point to no end!)

LeMond is made by Trek just to different geometries and have dropped their aluminum frames this year. Steel or Ti only! Very nice bikes. I own a LeMond Zurich. (Full Ultegra)

Specialized are light, but extremely stiff. Great for a "race" bike, but too harsh for the recreational rider.

My only beef with Giant and it's not that big of a deal. (I'd probably own one if we carried them). Is that they only offer the Compact frame and only have 4 sizes. This makes it difficult to get a proper fit on one if you don't have an "average" size body. In other words, if one fits you, you'll love it, but it's difficult to fit everybody on one(i.e. extremely short legs w/ long torso or vice versa).

I'd deal with the shop that you're most comfortable with and have the best relationship. Most shops carry more than one brand of bike. They may not stock them, but can order one for a customer. I'd go that route. We only stock the C'Dales, Kestrel's and LeMonds. We can order most anything else! They may be a stocking Giant dealer, but may carry Jamis or Bianchi or ...etc.

Thanks guys. I not sure which shop I like better. Right now the Giant and the Trek are tied but Cannondales are made about 90 min from where I live. Luckily I not in a hurry. :D

Forget shop B. They are a "sports boutique", not a bike shop. I don't care how good the merchaindise is they sell, they aren't concerned about bikes, they are only concerned about sporting goods. What happens when you bring your bike in, and the guy behind the counter knows nothing but soccer equipment? Will they even have an open shop in the winter?
Hey, I own both a Trek and a Cannondale, and I would rather travel 50 miles than deal with a shop such as the one you describe.

Originally posted by D*Alex
Forget shop B. They are a "sports boutique", not a bike shop. I don't care how good the merchaindise is they sell, they aren't concerned about bikes, they are only concerned about sporting goods. What happens when you bring your bike in, and the guy behind the counter knows nothing but soccer equipment? Will they even have an open shop in the winter?
Hey, I own both a Trek and a Cannondale, and I would rather travel 50 miles than deal with a shop such as the one you describe.

I'm inclined to disagree. Yes, it's true that a dedicated bike shop will most likely have the most knowledgeable sales people. That's not to say that the people at the other store don't know anything. Most places will not hire a lawnmower salesman to work in the bike department. Check out the shop, find out how much the sales people know, talk to the mechanic. Maybe D*Alex is right, and this place is no better than X-mart. Maybe he's not, and this is a fine place to buy a bike.
Either way, get the bike you want from the shop you feel most comfortable with. Don't be so quick to write someplace off just because they sell tents too.